Just One Night by Carly Phillips (fiction book recommendations txt) 📕

The woman ought to consider herself fortunate, because without him there, Jordan would have ripped into her about how she wouldn’t do a damn thing for someone so rude.

“Because I told her I didn’t want to be interrupted by anyone.” He shot Jordan a grateful look, which Angelica caught.

Unfortunately the woman didn’t take a hint. “I’m not just anyone. Now that you’re here, we need to talk.” She hooked her arm in his and directed him around Jordan’s desk and to his office. Short of shaking her off, he had no choice but to deal with her.

Maybe Jordan ought to feel bad for him, but he’d chosen to get involved with a stage-five clinger. What did he expect?

He opened the door to his office, and Angelica pushed them inside. Jordan couldn’t help but watch, and as she attempted to shut the door, Linc flung it open again, making his point.

Despite Angelica’s proprietary action, Jordan knew he hadn’t been involved with the woman for a long time, but they had been in an on-again, off-again relationship, and based on his past behavior, Angelica had every right to think she could talk him into another go-round.

“Angelica, stop. No. We need to talk.” Linc sounded pissed.

Jordan cringed at the thought of her touching him, admitting jealousy had crept up on her the minute Linc was alone with the bitch.

“But Linc, it’s been so long. Neither one of us is involved with anyone and we’re good together.” Her nasal whine grated on Jordan’s nerves.

She hated blatantly eavesdropping on what should be a private conversation, but he’d deliberately opened the door. And Jordan wanted to hear what he’d say to the part about him not being involved with anyone.

Though they hadn’t touched each other in two weeks, the possessive streak she hadn’t known about reared its ugly head. About a man she was trying not to get more attached to.

“You don’t know anything about my private life,” Linc said.

“I know more than you think. Your mother had lunch with mine, and she was bemoaning her oldest son still being single. Chloe’s getting married and she’s younger than you. Isn’t it time you started thinking about settling down?”

Jordan pushed aside the yogurt she’d been about to eat, her stomach suddenly churning.

“Not with you. Angelica, listen. You’re right. We had a good run when neither of us was involved with anyone else, but that’s all it was. Two people scratching an itch.”

Jordan winced. Oh, he did not say that to her. Talk about a typically dense man.

“Lincoln!” Angelica wailed. “You can’t mean that. I was giving you space and time to get other women out of your system. I was waiting for you to come around.”

“I’m sorry. Really. But I never led you on. Never told you we had a future.” Linc lowered his voice, compassion in his tone.

“Who is she?” Angelica asked loudly, not caring if she caused a scene at his office.

“Who?” Linc asked.

“If it’s not me you have a future with, then who is it?”

Linc’s groan was a mix of annoyance and frustration. Jordan recognized it well. “No one you need to concern yourself with.”

He hadn’t mentioned Jordan by name, but he didn’t deny there was someone, either.

“Come. I’ll walk you out,” Linc said.

“Don’t touch me. You led me on. I was waiting for you.” Angelica’s voice sounded closer to the door.

“I never gave you any reason to think you should.”

Jordan spun her chair around, picked up her spoon, and managed to eat a spoonful, swiping her mouse to turn on her computer screen and look busy.

Angelica’s heels sounded, and she came storming out of the office and past Jordan’s desk, striding through the office, an angry woman who didn’t care if anyone else knew it.

Wincing, Jordan focused on her lunch, wondering if Linc would come out of his office, whether or not he realized she’d heard it all, and unsure of what she’d say if he did.

Instead he shut the door and remained inside for the rest of the afternoon.

*     *     *

Linc leaned against the office door and let out a groan. Jesus Christ. He hadn’t led Angelica on, nor had he given her any indication there would be a future between them. With everything hanging over his head with the business, the last thing he needed was female drama. Another reason he appreciated Jordan. She didn’t do drama. She never had.

Speaking of Jordan, he cringed at the realization she’d overheard his conversation. He wasn’t ready to face her, so he settled in behind his desk to work, but he was distracted by his missing CFO and his need to borrow way too much money for his liking.

When a knock sounded on his door, he was grateful for the distraction. “Come in!”

His sister bounced into the room, obviously in a good mood. Her cheery smile matched her bright pink dress.

“Hey, Chloe.”

She smiled wide. “Hi!” She shut the door behind her and sat down in a chair across from him. “Good time? Bad time?”

“For you? Always a good time.” He let go of his stress and focused on his sister. Rising, he walked around the desk and sat on the edge. “How’s the baby shower planning going?”

Though Aurora had had the baby early, Chloe was going ahead with the shower since it was as much of a way to introduce Aurora as family as it was to celebrate the baby she’d named Leah.

“Great. I have Faith Dare doing the specialty desserts,” she said of Jason Dare’s wife.

Linc had stayed in touch with Braden and Willow, keeping them up to date on Aurora and how she was fitting in here. The Prescotts, it turned out, were part of the interesting Dare family, something he’d learned from Chloe. She’d been curious about the people who’d taken her sister in, then she’d been fascinated by the Dare family tree. Faith was married to Jason Dare, a cousin of Austin’s who lived in New York.

From there Chloe had discovered Faith’s